"I think someone hasn't been reading his NDSU Extension publications," the spirit said. "This study that we just witnessed will be finished a few weeks from now with a urea application made just prior to seeding wheat. The wheat was seeded and grown to maturity. When it was harvested, the wheat fertilized in November yielded similar to the April seeding application. Proteins also were similar. However, the two applications made on frozen ground made nearly 20 bushels per acre less grain and had almost two points less protein."

"I had no idea," Ebenezer said. "I must have been using my cell phone in the hallway at the Extension Service meeting I went to during that presentation! But I still need to get my work done and this is one way I can get it done!"

"So be it," the spirit said. With that, the scene went fuzzy and Ebenezer again found himself in bed in his room. "That was possibly the worst dream I have ever had," Ebenezer said to himself. He turned over and tried to go to sleep. Before he even got comfortable, the radio alarm went off again and he was confronted by a strange man in a tweed suit.

"Oh, ho!" the man shouted. "Time to get up! I am the Spirit of Winter Present."
"Can't I dream about something else?" Ebenezer cried. "I get enough winter present when I'm awake!"

"Oh ho, let's go out in the snow!" the spirit yelled.

With that, they were at the edge of town and Ebenezer recognized the house of Bob Cratchet. Bob was just coming up to the front door carrying a boy who looked to be about 9 years old and was holding a broken hockey stick. The door opened and Mrs. Cratchet stood looking at them with a concerned look on her face.

"What in the world are you doing carrying Tiny Jim?" she asked. "Well, mom, I was playing hockey and I think I sprained my ankle," Tiny Jim replied. "Dad says it's going to be OK, though."

"He took quite a spill and broke his stick at the same time," Bob added. "If the ankle isn't better by tomorrow, you might have to take him to the doctor. By the way, it looks like I might spread urea on my fields this weekend, so I probably will be working late."

"Do you think it's wise to spread urea on the snow and frozen ground? It's really expensive, you know," Mrs. Cratchet said. "It's OK," Bob said. "We do it every year for some customers. If Mr. Scrooge says it's OK, it must be. He goes to Extension meetings from time to time, so he must know what he's talking about. Besides, he said that supplies might be tight in the spring."

Ebenezer started to feel a little anxious about the urea and frozen snow idea.
Then he looked around and the Spirit of Winter Present was shrinking. "What's happening to you?" Ebenezer asked. "You don't expect winter present to last forever, do you?" the spirit squeaked as it slowly shrank into nothingness.

With that, Ebenezer was surrounded by a chill. Looking around, he saw a towering figure dressed in a black bomber hat and a black parka that looked like something out of an arctic nature show.

"Are you the Spirit of Winters Yet to Come?" Ebenezer asked. The spirit nodded and pointed at the Cratchet door. The spirit and Ebenezer walked through the door and stood in the kitchen where Bob and Mrs. Cratchet were sitting. It was late at night.

"We're really going to have to watch our expenses this coming year," Bob said.
"My wheat yields were at least 15 bushels less than the neighbor's and the elevator dockage because of low protein was a killer! The only thing I did differently than the neighbor was that he waited until spring to apply his urea.
I thought I was saving money."

"I never liked the idea of putting on fertilizer on frozen ground," Mrs.
Cratchet said. "I thought Mr. Scrooge had more sense than that." "Well it's done now," Bob said. "Tiny Jim wanted new hockey skates this year, but I think he'll have to settle for a hockey stick instead." "And I think I'll give you an Extension publication so you don't do anything stupid again!" Mrs. Cratchet said.

Ebenezer and the spirit floated out of the house into the yard. "Spirit, are these the things that will happen or the things that might happen?" Ebenezer asked the spirit. "I'll change! I won't ever talk my customers into putting urea on frozen soils ever again!"

With that, Ebenezer found himself in his room. He looked at the clock and it was
6 a.m., which meant it was time to get ready for work. He turned on the TV and saw that it was the next morning. Excitedly, he dressed and went to the fertilizer plant. He got there before Bob Cratchet.

When Bob walked in, Ebenezer shouted, "What are you doing here this morning?
Don't you know it's a Saturday in the winter? What could possibly bring you out this morning?" "But, I thought we were going to spread urea on my fields today,"